The first true electrochemical battery was invented by Alessandro Volta in 1800, known as the voltaic pile.

Key context

• Volta’s voltaic pile stacked copper and zinc discs separated by brine-soaked material to produce a continuous electric current, marking the birth of the modern battery in 1800.

• Benjamin Franklin used the term “battery” earlier in 1749 for linked Leyden jars (capacitors), but these were not electrochemical batteries that provided continuous current.

• Claims about the ancient “Baghdad Battery” remain disputed; mainstream sources do not recognize it as a demonstrated ancient battery comparable to Volta’s device.

After Volta

• The Daniell cell (1836) became the first practical and stable battery for telegraphy, improving on earlier volatility.

• The first rechargeable battery was the lead–acid cell invented by Gaston Planté in 1859, a chemistry still in use today.